Smartphone sales exploded in 2012: surveys

Research firm Strategy Analytics said global smartphone shipments grew 43 percent to 700 million units in 2012, with South Korea's Samsung capturing more than 30 percent of the market and extending its lead over Apple and others.

The report showed smartphones accounted for close to half of the 1.6 billion mobiles sold in 2012. With all phones combined, the market grew just two percent, according to the report highlighting a shift to smartphones.